Broadly speaking there are two ways to file correspondence and other documents in offices. One way is in folders placed in drawer files; and the other way is in folders placed on shelf files. The drawer file system is a standard adopted by many business and government offices. In recent years, however, there has been a distinct trend away from drawer files to shelf files. Shelf files have several worthwhile advantages. There is the saving of space, because shelf files can go higher in view of reaching up to folders on shelves instead of having to reach over the top of the drawer to retrieve files from drawers. The drawers must be pulled out into an aisle, thus requiring wider aisles between rows. Usually there is a 30% space saving when changing from drawer files to shelf files. The shelf files eliminate the need to pull drawers out or push them in so that little physical effort is expended in withdrawing files from the shelf system and since all files are visible, access to them is fast and direct. In shelf filing systems, the file room is more compact so that there is less walking.
With the shelf filing system, the folder used is that commonly referred to as "End Tab" or "Side Tab" folder to distinguish it from the "Top Tab" folder used in drawer files. The end referred to is the edge of the folder that is visible when folders are positioned on a shelf. End tab folders may have the tab in several positions; for example, four inch top tab, four inch bottom tab, and full end tab.
There are three principal systems or classes of coding files; that is, by the use of reference numbers, by the use of the alphabetic names or subjects, or a combination of both numeric and alphabetic.
Computers are being used for file room control where the file whereabouts is recorded and stored in computer memory. This is presently accomplished by keyboard entry of file reference numbers and its whereabouts is recorded in the computer memory. Such a system is subject to error and requires a great deal of time and a number of keypunch operators in the file room and at other locations throughout the office to record file "pass-ons".
The labelling of file folders is usually based on a name, subject or number in association with which the file is opened. The label for the file may show the person's name or the identity of the company, government office, etc. together with location such as City and Province or State and with subject files the main classification and sub-classification. Two such labels are usually printed in a typewriter and subsequently applied to both sides of the end tab folder. That system of alphabetic labelling of files requires considerable manual input and is slow and cumbersome.
Canadian Pat. No. 925,764 shows a label for a file folder flap. The label is one-sided and has printed thereon a name and two colour coded areas which are representative of the first two initials of the surname. However, no consideration is given in that patent to the machine reading of information set out on the label and using such machine read information to control a labeller's application of subsequent labels to the same file folder. U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,363 discloses various types of bar code, magnetic ink character recognition and optical character recognition printing used on cheques and the like. The particulars of the coded information may be read from the cheque; however, there is no discussion about using read information to control a labeller application of additional labels to a file folder.
The process, according to this invention, overcomes a number of the above problems to provide a label which not only permits identification of the article, but also permits machine reading of information from the labels. In this reading of the information, a labeller may be programmed, in accordance with input of the read information, to apply other labels to the same file folder. Such additional labels may be of the colour coded type to provide all the attendant advantages thereof, as defined in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,639.